Alternate Humanity: The Fleet of Fog
by Orez Lanrete
Summary: This is a xover with Mass Effect and the upcoming anime 'Aoki Hagane no Arpreggio', or 'Arpreggio of Blue Steel'. Based of Soalris242 "Transcendent Humanity". This is another alternate humanity fic. Only this time, more than half of the human population are ships! If it helps think of this like a xover with Eve Online. Hope you enjoy and pls review.


**I originally wanted to update my other stories, but ever since I bought the Mass Effect Trilogy Pack and started reading Alternate First Contact War stories, the plot bunnies in my head start bursting out like machine gun fire. The Mass Effect world is big and filled with many possibilities that COULD happen and as such I had the plans for writing a fanfic for it. **

**It wasn't until I read "Transcendent Humanity" by Solaris242 that I really was motivated to write one. While this is similar to his story, I long had this crossover in my head before I read his story, so sorry for any similarities. I already contacted Solaris about my story before hand and he is the one betaing it. I will try to make this as logically and realistically possible as I can. Some facts will be made up.**

**This was originally the first Alternate Humanity Story but I posted the others and actually missed his email when he finished betaing this chapter.**

**The codex entries are at the bottom as always.**

**There is no Prothean Caches on Mars and very little Element Zero in the Sol System.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this other that was created by other people, everything goes to their respective owners. I merely own the story and other made up facts.**

**Hope you enjoy, this crossover with Mass Effect and "Aoki Hagane no Appreggio".**

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Chapter 1: Unification of Man, Gravity, and HOLY SH*T WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!

**Year 2030 CE- **A Russian Science Team successfully proved the existence of Graviton, an originally hypothetical elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitation in the framework of quantum field theory. NASA and many space exploration companies began studying the use of this particle. Other universities and laboratories research on the nature of Graviton.

**Year 2035 CE-** A Japanese Scientist group successfully creates the first batch of nano-machines. These machines are then mass replicated and many companies are finding uses in medicine, military and civilian usage. Humanity started to unite ending all current wars and conflicts due to the use of the nano-machines reducing the pressure on resource and power usage.

**Year 2048 CE-** The same Japanese scientist group successfully creates what is known as nano-materials. These are basically nano-machines that can simulate any composition to create any material. With this creation, the simultaneous construction of what was once deemed near impossible Space Elevators begins as a united effort to further improve on the relationships between countries.

Economy is completely rebuilt due to the near unlimited resource because of nano-material. Education is gradually increased in terms of difficulty to compensate for the growing knowledge of humanity.

Complete Unification of Humanity, nations still exist though no longer as superpowers, rather as cultural heritages.

**Year 2050 CE-** Creation of the first ever quantum computer. Quantum computers increased the effectiveness of nano-materials allowing the construction of the space elevators to increase in speed, currently reaching to the height of 500kms, exceeding any previous human construction. Medical technology make tremendous breakthroughs in curing many diseases.

**Year 2054 CE-** Creation of the first Graviton Drive. A special reactor that gains power through the use of Gravitons, it replaces many of the old nuclear power reactors. Space elevators reach a height of 1267kms. A medical facility in Australia creates organic matter and successfully recreates a human arm for transplant using nano-material. New research of organic bodies and other organs for transplant using nano-machines begins.

**Year 2060 CE-** First ever Graviton Drive spaceships created. Ships proven to be a huge success enabling direct lift off and landing from surface to space. Ships uses Ion thrusters due to the Graviton Drive providing near unlimited energy. Space elevators reaching a current height of over 15,000 kms. Suspected to be finished within a decade.

**Year 2061 CE-** An American scientist Professor Jane Thanatos successfully synthesizes a new material using only nano-materials, which she names after herself called Thanatonium.

**Year 2068 CE-** Space elevators finally complete reaching a total of 35,567kms from the surface. Colonisation of both the moon and Mars now a top priority. Construction of the first space station designed as a giant ring like structure orbiting the Earth confirmed.

**Year 2070 CE-** With the Graviton Drives, ships reaches Mars in record time. Colonisation begins immediately. With the use of Nano-material, space station **Guardian Ring** is rapidly constructed.

**Year 2075 CE**- A joint project to create a "Union Core", a super computer utilising nano-materials, quantum mechanics and graviton manipulations is established.

**Year 2090 CE-** Colonisation reaches all the way to Jupiter's moons. First prototype Union Core created. Problem discovered in that humans cannot interact fast enough with the Union Core to use it to full effect. The Asteroid belt along with Saturn's Rings are turned into main resource factories. Human population reaches 15 billion.

**Year 2091 CE-** Proposal of transference of consciousness from a living person to the Union Core approved, and volunteers apply for the project. Transference was successful. Discovered that the person in the Union Core can recreate their original body using nano-materials. The Created body is given the term Mental Model. This starts off a chain reaction of news all over humanity as it essentially is immortality. Many people apply for the transference. Age limit of 18 years old set-up for minimum requirement for transfer. Transferred humans began to be known as Core humans.

**Year 2103 CE-** Union Cores upgraded to the point where they can automatically generate and store nano-material. Quantum communications networks completely establish with two separate branches, one civilian while the other military. Non core people are given special implants at the age of 5 to access the network, effectively cutting down the learning time.

**Year 2106 CE-** First Core Human to ever completely generate a working spaceship. Capable of both flight and battle, it is formed using pure willpower and nano-materials with a length of 300ms. Various studies take place and possibilities are theorised.

It is discovered that two nano forged ships can combine, allowing a bigger ship to form.

**Year 2119 CE-** Creation of the wormhole generator known ironically as the Stargate as a means of FTL travel. Usage is limited as Gates must be present at both ends, and there is currently no possible way to transport the device to unknown regions. Creation of processor enhancers allowing more control over nano-material which in turn allows bigger ships to be created by Core Humans.

Population reaching over 47 billion with more than 1/2 being Core people. The rest are those who chose not to transfer or are children.

**Year 2126 CE- **Colonisation reaches to Pluto. Plans for new type of colonisation devices implemented. Discovered the Mass Relay hidden in Charon. Tensions reached extremely high as a result of the discovery. Extreme caution was implemented in the study of the alien artifact. Studies reveal the Mass Relay network. Securing of the relay take top priority.

Discovery of the Dark Energy creation element known as Element Zero.

Studies discovered the Mass altering properties of Element Zero. Further studies are made to implement the element into Graviton Drives.

Population boom causes current population to reach over 62 billion. More than 2/3 are Core people.

**Year 2129 CE-** Researchers successfully managed to break apart bits of the Mass Relay using nano-machines. Studies of the material used to create Mass Relays is intensified. The combined minds of many cyber hackers successfully manages to break into the computer of the Mass Relay, gaining information on its creation and the Mass Relay network. Plans been made to combine the Mass relays with the Stargate.

Probe been sent through the relay and into the Arcturus system. Plans are made to move the Stargate through the Relay to the Arcturus System to begin colonisation.

**Year 2140 CE-** New Colonisation devices successfully used in colonising the rest of the Sol system. New infantry gravity equipment complete and becomes standard equipment for all military personal. Graviton Drives contain only a little Element Zero to use for the Mass Relays.

Arcturus Space Station, measuring up to 40 kilometres across, is constructed and sent through the Stargate to the Arcturus System. Population reaches 88 billion, 4/5 are Core Humans.

**Year 2157 CE- **Shanxi is preparing to be colonised. And the story begins.

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**Year 2157 CE**

**Relay 314**

**New Relay activation Expedition fleet**

General Desolus sighed as his entire small fleet of 40 frigates, 20 Cruisers and 3 Dreadnoughts, including his dreadnought, the "Exemplar Executioner" gave themselves one final check up. The Councillors had finally allowed for a small expedition fleet to be formed with the Turian, Asari and the Salarian ships in order attempt to activate a Mass Relay. As his fleet is the closest one available they called him to lead the expedition across the dormant Relay 314 to explore. For the first time since the Rachni wars, the Citadel space is finally expanding again. Many precautions had been taken, as further behind his expedition fleet is another full fleet of both the 4th and 5th Battalion war fleet along with the Destiny Ascension ready to jump in a moments notice or to secure the relay.

One of the officers told him the system check was complete and he gave the order to activate the relay. Outside the massive Tuning Fork like object started to spin its gyroscope like rings and the blue orb of concentrated Element Zero started to form. The plan was for the Turian ships to first secure the area around the Relay before sending in the Salarian scientific ships with them.

With a few words, he ordered the fleet to be transported. A large burst of blue energy latched onto the expedition fleet, sending them all into the Mass-less space corridor towards the other side of the galaxy.

As the General sighed he turn to notice his younger brother Saren standing beside him. Saren was a good soldier, but he was still naive about the world and lacked experience.

"Do you think we would find another race brother?" Saren asked. He along with many of the other crews we're getting nervous at the prospect of meeting another race. The stories of the Rachni wars did not paint a good picture, and many military were actually against initiating first contact at all.

Desolus look over his younger brother and soothingly replied, "Don't worry, we have a large enough fleet should we run into trouble and even if this is not enough on the other side of the relay is the Destiny Ascension and the rest of the Turian dreadnoughts. And to be truthful, I seriously doubt we'll meet that many races like the Rachni. Relax a bit, being too tense will cause you to make hasty decisions."

Saren took a breath before slowly loosen the tension in his muscles. He was about to reply when one of the officers told them they were about to leave the relay.

The two once again look at each other before both nodding and taking there places as the other crew prepare themselves.

"Leaving the relay in 5"

"4"

"3"

"2"

"1"

A blue light flashed as the Exemplar Executioner and the rest of the fleet entered the system. Officers immediately started scanning as the ships prepared their guns and shields, ready for any hostile encounters.

"Detecting several planets, 3 in total. Star detected. Asteroid belt detected. Currently no other contacts."

General Desolus waited with bated breath as he waited for the system to be scanned. If the system is empty, then they were to secure the area in front of the relay while sending a message to the rest of the fleet to report the situation. If not, then they are to initiate first contact protocol when they can, unless the situation is more complex than it seems. If the contact is hostile they were to retreat back to the relay to regroup with the rest of the fleet to either secure the relay or push the enemy back. If the first contact proves successful, they are to call the Asari ambassadors waiting with the Destiny Ascension.

The entire fleet stood still in front of the relay for several more minutes as the officers use whatever sensors they have to thoroughly give the system a clean sweep. When the sensors once again gave the all clear for the fifth time, everybody relaxed including the General.

He was about to give the order to send a message back through the relay when the same officer called out, "Captain, detecting something on the sensors. Its artificial."

Everybody instantly tensed up at those words and many of the crew stopped what they were doing as they waited for the full report.

"Report!" Desolus snapped.

"Detecting two giant energy signatures approximately 300,000kms away on the other side of the planet," was the reply. Desolus turned towards the officer.

"Why didn't we detect them earlier?"

"Unknown sir, they could have stealth technology or their ships simply uses a completely different technology that escapes our sensors."

'Dammit,' Desolus thought. He knew he need to make a decision quickly. "Move the fleet towards the source, I need any information we can get. Prepare the guns and keep the shields on at all times. Send a message to the Destiny as well, tell them to prepare just in case."

Saren turn towards his brother, "Are you sure about this, shouldn't we wait for the rest of the fleet to arrive first?"

"We need information. I rather have us be able to provide at least some information about this new race than none at all. If they prove dangerous we can instantly turn back to the relay for a quick retreat," replied the General.

Saren was about to reply when the officer once more called out, "We're getting visual, putting it on screen."

Everyone on the bridge looked at the screen before every jaw dropped in shock. Right in front of them were two gigantic objects, clearly artificial and both are more than half of the size of the Citadel. One of them, Desolus instantly recognised as a Space station of some kind judging from the design and the ships that were docked to it. The station was shaped like a spinning top with a giant solid ring connected to it. There were around 14 cruisers and 2 Dreadnoughts attached to the station from what he can see. He also instantly identified what looked to be many cannons and other point defence systems on the station., though many other objects were still a mystery from him. The other object however was completely unknown to him and the rest of the fleet.

It was a giant silver ring that was bigger than the space station and is clearly near or was bigger than the size of the Citadel. On three points of the ring were objects that looked to be small Mass Relays each pointing outward and instead of an Eezo-blue core it instead has a completely obsidian black orb.

The entire fleet stood dumbstruck for several seconds before Desolus snapped them out of it by ordering them to begin scans and send the first contact package. This is definitely a first contact scenario and General Desolus would not be the Turian who caused a War.

"How big are those?" he asked the Turian officer.

"Well sir, the space station is at least 40kms long by itself as for the...ring," the Turian gulped, "Our scans starts its at least 50kms long and uh..."

"Well?"

"We are detecting no Element Zero from either of them sir. We are unsure if the objects truly don't use Element Zero or they are purposely hiding the signature of it."

"WHAT!" the General shouted. An object that large that required no element zero was just near impossible. Element Zero was the basis of many races space technology and finding a race that didn't use that was both hopeful and worrying. Hopeful as this race could be a primitive race instead of an advance one though judging from the objects they made it just didn't seem so. If its an advance race instead then it will be worrying as all weapons and defences of the enemy ships will be nearly completely unknown, and unknowns are one of the most dangerous things to a Turian was interrupted from his thoughts as one of the soldiers yelled out, "Sir, massive energy signatures and spatial distortions detected. They are larger than any thing we have ever seen, our sensors can't keep up and-By the Spirits, the Ring is moving."

With that all eyes turn once again to the ring as they see it slowly turning clockwise with the orbs starting to glow an eerily yellow. In the centre of the ring, Desolus can see a small black dot that to his surprised quickly grew and covered the insides in a flat disk like shape. Then from the black void something started to appear. That something soon quickly burst out of the ring and headed towards the planet. The object was a simple black octagonal prism, only extremely large easily dwarfing their fleet. The main problem was that the length of the object was still increasing even after 2 minutes. The prism has multiple segments each can be seen to be separated by a flat ring in between the segments.

Blood drained from Desolus already paled face as the object easily exceed the Citadel in length and from just looking at it he could easily tell it was over 100 kilometres long and the length is still increasing. There just seems to be no end to the giant black mass that was heading towards the planet. It is when the head of the object entered the atmosphere that something changed. The head split open into 8 rectangular shapes angling themselves so that it looks like giant legs reaching out with the centre of the tower releasing a giant blue beam. When the object fully exited the ring, the head had finally landed on the surface creating a tremendous shock wave and the entire length of the object can be seen. It was at that moment Desolus knew for sure he wasn't dealing with a less advance race as the structure slowly split itself like a flower across its sides. Buildings and turrets could be seen inside the layers that laid perpendicular to the structure. Then to his further shock the space station moved its way towards the tail end of the structure and literally attached itself onto it.

What this race brought and just successfully landed on the planet was none other than a giant movable Space Elevator that is easily over 10,000kms in length.

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**BIG THANKS to Solaris242 for Betaing this**.

**This story currently has the shortest first chapter of the series.**

**Codex:**

**Gravitons:** An elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitation in the framework of quantum physics. This particle can freely manipulate and create gravity forces.

**Nano-materials:**  
They are basically nano machines that can simulated any composition and create any material. These machines are all control by the Union Core.

**Thanatonium:**  
It is the main driving fuel of all ships. It is a special synthesized material that can only be create with nano-materials. This material can then be decomposed into gravitons(In physics, the graviton is a hypothetical elementary particle that mediates the force of gravitation in the framework of quantum field theory).  
As a result, all ships are literally powered by themselves in a self renewal energy. The core creates the nano-materials, which is then synthesized into Thanatonium, which is then used in the Graviton Drive.

**Union Core:**  
This is the central processing unit of the ships and where the consciousness of the human mind lays. It is essentially the heart of the ship with characteristics and processing speeds varying with each one. It is also where Nano-materials are produced though only cores with spare processing power can produce the material at will while piloting there ship. There are some cores that are dedicated to the production of nano-materials when ships join together.

**Quantum Network:**

Each core is equipped with quantum computers allowing them to calculate in minutes what will take regular supercomputers of humans billions of years. Where each bit of data in our computers can be either "0's" or "1's" (in short a binary system that the citadel/Mass Relays uses), each bit in a quantum computer can exist as both states at once due to superposition(wiki it). Therefore the amount of data that the quantum computer can process is exponentially greater but is still limited by human will power. Since the particles position speed cannot be determine with precision (the uncertainty principle, again wiki it), quantum communication cannot be easily cracked while encryption algorithms used by supercomputers can be easily cracked by a quantum computer in a few moments.

Through this, it allows the use of something similar to telepathy for each ships allowing them to transfer both images and thoughts directly to the mind of the recipient in a flash allowing no room for misunderstanding other than small mistakes done by human mind, like accidentally sending an embarrassing picture to a friend.

**Gravition Drive:**  
Similar to the Mass Effect Cores but fundamentally different. It uses gravitons as the main source of energy and powers the entire ship along with its weaponry. Mass Effect manipulates the mass of objects to reduce the effect of gravity while Graviton Drives uses gravity as an energy source itself.

**Core Ships:**  
All ships are made from nano-materials. These materials can shape themselves as practically anything the user want them to be. These Materials in turn are produced, contained and controlled from the Cores where the Human consciousness is. In short what type of ships that are produced depends completely on the imagination and the amount of nano materials that the core possess. In theory, if one core is supplied with unlimited Nano-materials and energy, it can create an entire fleet of cruisers and dreadnoughts by itself. The Main problem however is the processing. Every person has a certain limit on how much information they can process which in turn limits their ability to control nano-materials.

To put it simply a person can have 1000 points of nano-materials but their processing power only allows up to 200 points to be used. The 800 points are instead used as repair materials or spares. Its basically the maximum amount of task that a person can do simultaneously. The Processing Power can be increased through enhancers but even then it only allows up to 500 points.

This problem can be solved by a process call Ship sharing. Basically two cores share the same ship which not only doubles the amount of Nano-materials but also lessen the burden of the processing. Its like a parallel circuit only with minds. This also allows the building of much bigger ships.

For example, a regular civilian core can create a small ship of 100 metres, two cores together can create a ships of 300 metres, 3 cores can can increase it 500 and so on. To create a 1000 metre ship requires at least 6 cores working simultaneously.  
And average military core can create a ship of 250 metres by itself. 2 Military can create a 500 metres ship. This is more due to mindset as those who have military training know where to focus their construction on and have a more trained mind as opposed to a civilian mind. There are exceptions as there are some people who are born with more advance minds than others allowing them to create bigger ships and control more.

In this theory there is no limit to how big the ship can be or how powerful and the amount of energy it can generate.

One of the main advantages is the restructuring ability of the ships. The ships can be nano-reconstructed at will in order to add new weapons or equipment while during battle conditions to fit into any form they want to, provided they have the data and nano-materials. For example, if one ship discovered a new type of engine, he/she can upload that information into the Quantum Network where it can then be seen and downloaded by the other ships. Those ships can then literally reconstruct that engine into themselves the moment they acquire that data. Just like in the construction of the ships, how fast the reconstruction goes depends on the person and the focus given to the process.

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and pls review!**


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